Let $p:E\to B$ be a continuous map of topological spaces and set $F_x=p^{-1}(x)$ for an $x\in B$. Take a commutative ring $A$ and assume for simplicity that each $H^\*(F_x,A)$ is a free $A$-module. Let $a_1,a_2,\ldots \in H^\*(E,A)$ be classes that give a basis of $H^\*(F_x,A)$ when restricted to any $F_x$. Assume that the direct image $R^0p_\ast \underline{A}_E$ of the constant sheaf on $E$ is constant. The Leray-Hirsch principle says that $H^\*(E,A)$ is a free $H^\*(B,A)$-module generated by the $a_i$'s.
I would like to ask if anyone knows a reference for a similar result for étale cohomology. Ideally I would like to have a statement for $E,B$ varieties over an algebraically closed field $k$ and finite coefficients of order prime to $char (k)$.
Best Answer
[[ I have added a discussion of when $p$ is smooth or has quotient singularities. ]] [[ I added a discussion on the cohomology of $[X/G]$. ]]
The étale case follows in a way that is altogether analogous to the topological case. Let me give a proof that gives a teeny bit of extra information. I assume that $\alpha_i$ is homogenous (with respect to cohomological degree) of degree $d_i$. Then $\alpha_i$ gives a map in the derived category $A[-d_i]\to Rp_\ast A$ and combining them a map $\bigoplus_iA[-d_i]\to Rp_\ast A$. If we can show that this map is an isomorphism then we get an isomorphism $\bigoplus_iR\Gamma(B,A)[-d_i]\to R\Gamma(E,A)$ which on taking cohomology gives the L-H theorem. That this is an isomorphism can be checked fibrewise and if the natural map $(R^ip_\ast A)_x\to H^i(F_x,A)$ is an isomorphism for all geometric points $x$ we are through.
This condition is true under one of the following conditions:
Addendum: Here are, as requested below by algori, some details on the fact that $\pi\colon[X/G]\to X/G$ induces an isomorphism for coefficients $A$ for which the order of the (group of connected components of the) stabilisers are invertible. (This of course is well-known, so well-known in fact that I don't know if there is a proper reference for it.) I will not use that the stack is a global quotient so we may as well consider $\pi\colon\mathcal X\to X$ where $\mathcal X$ is a stack with finite stabiliser scheme and $X$ is its spatial quotient. For simplicity I will assume that the automorphism groups are reduced (i.e., that $\mathcal X$ is a Deligne-Mumford stack). The general case can be proved along the same lines but would be longer and more technical. What we are going to show is that $R\pi_*A=A$. As the construction of the spatial quotient commutes with étale localisation on $X$ we may assume that $X$ is local strictly Henselian and then by the local structure theory of DM-stacks (to be found for instance in Laumon-Moret-Bailly) $\mathcal X$ has the form $[Y/G]$, where $G$ is a finite group which can be assumed to be the stabiliser of a point of $Y$ and hence has order invertible in $A$ and $Y$ is also local strictly Henselian. Now using the usual simplicial resolution $T_n=G^n\times Y$ of $[Y/G]$ we get that $H^*([Y/G],A)=H^*(G,A)=A$ as $H^*(T_n,A)=A^G$.
Another way of dealing with the $(G,X)$ case which I think should be more efficient and general is, following Deligne, to split $X \to X/G$ up into $X\to X\times_GG/U\to X\times_GG/B\to X/G$ (where $U$ is the unipotent radical of a Borel subgroup $B$). Then $X\times_GG/B\to X/G$ is proper and in fact the Leray-Hirsch argument applies provided a large enough integer is invertible in the coefficients (it is in general not enough to invert the $|H|$ but one also needs to invert some primes intrinsincally defined by $G$) and $X\to X\times_GG/U$ has more or less affine spaces as fibres and induces an isomorphism if the $|H|$ are invertible. Finally $X\times_GG/U\to X\times_GG/B$ is essentially a torus bundle and the cohomology of $X\times_GG/U$ can be analysed in terms of the cohomology of $X\times_GG/B$ and the characteristic classes of the bundle.